A good business card tells the recipient who you are and what you do in a memorable, powerful and meaningful way. An innovative design will ensure your business card stands out from the crowd, but the content is what will serve the purpose of making one.
Here’s a list of must-haves when it comes to business cards.
- Company logo and tagline
Feature your company logo in a prominent position on your business card to build brand recognition. Also include a tagline that succinctly communicates what your company does and its overall mission. This is a much better way of conveying what your product or service offers, rather than having an extended list of individual services, which will only clutter your card.
- Your name
Your name is an obvious inclusion for your business card, but be sure to use the one you’re commonly known by. For example, if you use ‘Jon’ in all of your business communications, don’t list ‘Jonathon’ on your business card. It will only cause confusion.
- Your job title
While creative job titles such as ‘Chief Fun Officer’ have been in vogue in recent years, the trend is shifting back to using more functional job titles. Include a job title on your business card that clearly describes what you do. For example, ‘Business Development Manager’ says more about your role than ‘Brand Ninja’ – and won’t keep your contacts guessing about what you do and how you’re relevant to them.
- Direct contact information
Always list your direct phone line and email address on your business card. Exchanging business cards with a prospect or contact is a way to personalize the relationship. However, if your business card directs new contacts to a central customer service phone line or generic email address, you’re essentially saying you don’t want to be contacted.
- A physical address
Even though we’re operating in an increasingly digital world, it’s still important to include a physical address on your business card. This will help international contacts work out time zone differences when contacting you. However, if you’re a travelling consultant, speaker or sales representative without a street address, list the geographical areas you operate in instead.
- Relevant social media channels
Your business card is another opportunity to build your social media following, so including links to your preferred social media channels is a good idea. But remember to keep it relevant – your LinkedIn profile, for example, is more relevant to a business contact than your personal Facebook page.
- A custom landing page
Include a website address on your business card, but not to your company homepage. Rather, send your contacts to a custom landing page that explains more about you and exactly how you can assist them. This will personalise your relationship even more and show that you value your contacts.
With these details on your business card, you will be able to convey a snapshot of the value you can bring to any professional contact. All that will be left to do then is go out and win some customers!
